Switch.



PATENTED me, 1907 1 J; T. vSALVO.

.SWITGH.

APPLICATION FILED 1111.11.190'1.

Tia- WITNESSES THE uon'ms PETERS co, WASNINGYON, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH T. SALVO, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JOHN C. JAUDON, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed January 11, 1907. Serial No. 351,783.

To all" whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH T. SALvo, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Charleston, in the county of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented a new and Improved Switch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description' This invention relates to railway-switches, and has for its object to provide means simple and inexpensive in construction, durable in operation, and effective in use, adapted to be readily operated by a passing car, and so constructed as to be operative in any locality with little or no liability to become inoperative from any cause. Such objects I accomplish by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings. like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the views, and in which.

Figure 1 is a plan of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of my device, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a plan of a switch-block shown in Fig. 1 detached from the bed-plate on which it is supported. when in use.

As illustrated in the drawings, railwayrails 1 are supported on ties 2 of ordinary construction. Turnouts 3 and 3 are connected with the main rails in the usual manner, the turnout 3 being formed on a bedplate 4 and provided with an offset 5, forming a recess adapted to receive the free end of a switch-tongue 6, which is pivotally attached to the base-plate 4 by means of a pivot-pin 7. The forward end of the tongue 6 is pivotally attached, by means of a pivotpin 8, to a switch-block 9,which in turn is pivotally mounted upon the base-plate 4 by means of a pivot-pin 10. The base-plate is rovided with a lateral flange 4 and with a facial recess 4, adapted to receive the switchblock 9, and the switch-block is provided with contact-lugs 11, having inclined upper edges extending upward above the rails 1 and 3, as shown in Fig. 2, arranged when in use in line with operating-levers 12, mounted upon the platform 13 of the car, preferably by means of pivotpins 14, which connect said levers with arms 15, pivotally attached to brackets 16 by means of hinge-pins 17, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig.

In the construction herein shown and described a switch is shown connected with but one side of the track. It is obvious, however, that switches may be arranged on both sides of the track, and in such case the platform of the car is provided with two sets of operating-levers similar to those shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. When the car is in operation and approaches a switch, the operator places his foot on one of the levers 12, which bears against the corresponding lug 11 of the switch-block; 9, and turns the free end of said block to the right or left in accordance with whichever of the lugs 11 is brought in contact with the operating-lever of the car. By means of such construction a switch is provided without underground mechanism of any kind, which in the devices heretofore used quickly become clogged with mud, snow, or ice to such an eXtent as to render them inoperative until such material has been removed from the underground mechanism, thereby causing considerable expense and inconvenience in the operation of such switch, whereas in the device herein shown and described all the operating mechanism is arranged above the base-plate and is not at all liable to be clogged with snow, mud, or foreign matter of any description. The switch, moreover, may be readily adjusted to any track without great expense and repaired when necessary, the switchtongue being especially easy to replace when worn out, for the reason that it is pivotally connected with the base-plate and switch-block, and when worn it is simply detached from its pivotal connection and a new tongue put inits place. In the construction herein shown and described such inconveniences and disadvantages are entirely overcome, for the reason that all of the operating mechanism is arranged above the ground and is not at all liable to be clogged with snow, mud, or foreign matter of any description. The switch, moreover, by means of its construction and arrangement of its parts may be readily adjusted to any track without great expense and repaired when necessary, and worn-out parts can be easily replaced by new ones, the switchtongue being especially easy to replace when worn out for the reason that it is pivotally connected with the bed-plate and switchblock, and when worn is simply detached serted in its place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with a base-plate having a turnout-rail extending longitudinally thereof, a facial recess beneath said turnout-rail intermediate the ends thereof, and a guardrail offset from the turnout-rail, a switchblock pivoted to the said base-plate in said recess and provided on opposite sides with inclined lugs extending above the turnoutrail, and a tongue pivoted at one end to said 15 baseplate with its point pivotally attached to said switch-block, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence 0f 20 two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH T. SALVO. 

